Thank you both for speaking with me by phone last
month. (And thank you, also, for whomever visited The Register from the DOE. And
also: Thank you, Tracy, for acknowledging my email.) I am writing because I made
press inquiries (below), and a month (almost) has passed, and I have not heard
back from your office. In fact, NONE of you responded further, tempting me to
make clever jokes (like it might be easier to squeeze blood from a turnip, or
the DOE staff are harder to locate than a Bigfoot!..) – OK, enough of my amateur
and lame humour... I should be serious & professional:

To begin
with, let me remind you, in no uncertain terms, that I am "friendly press,"
i.e., I am supportive of more or all of the policies of the new Trump
administration, and those policies which I believe the new Sec. of Ed., Betsy
DeVos, advocates (for example, vouchers in Public Ed). **HOWEVER**, one month of
no answer (even for a 'small organisation, such as The Register) is abnormal.
Based on our phone conversations, I'd hoped that you all understood my requests
as me asking if the DOE could offer *some* clarification on whether or not
(a) you supported my recommendations, below, and (b) whether there would be
action (and not just 'big talk').

Probably, I didn't make specific
& exactingly precise requests for specific answers (I will
take the blame), so I'll try again. Here's the information the DOE requests for
press inquiries, according to the greeting message on your work
phone:

NAME: Gordon W. Watts, Editor-in-Chief of The Register (but
not the only writer, just the chief writer)OUTLET: The Register web-ring
(with social media pages), as listed in the left-hand column of the flagship
mirrorsDEADLINE: Last time, I had no 'precise' deadline. This time, the
deadline is ASAP. If I hear back from you, I can publish sooner, but if I don't
hear back from you, within, say, a few days, I will go ahead with the article,
but I will make a "good faith" effort for you to give me an answer before I
attempt to publish. (Some of my resources move on their own time-schedule, like
when The Lakeland Ledger decides to publish something for me. Others, The
Register, are under my control, and more-easily controlled to give you "extra
time" to reply.)PHONE: home:863.688.9880, cell:863.409.2109EMAIL:
Gww1210@aol.com and Gww1210@Gmail.comQUESTIONS: see
below...

**1. QUESTION ANSWERED: By the way, thank you, Jim, for
your estimate of 4,800 employees for the DOE. Your website, https://Ed.gov/about/landing.jhtml and
its sister site: https://www.Grants.gov/web/grants/learn-grants/grant-making-agencies/department-of-education.html both listed 4,400, and I think it may be 4,800 or so by now.
Indeed, what are the odds I'd try to dial Betsy DeVos' extension backwards and
get the number of 1 of only 4 press officers, such as Al Betancourt,
whose last name is like Betsy's 1st name!? Coincidence? I think not... Not sure
if this is newsworthy for my upcoming article(s), column(s), letter to the
editor, etc., but it's a miracle, no less than how I almost won the Terri
Schiavo case all by myself! (Getting a close 4-3 split decision loss at the Fla
Supreme Court, doing better even than Jeb Bush, who lost 7-0 before the same
panel. 2nd miracle was my faith to proceed: No one in their right mind, heck, no
one in the crazy mind, would try what lawyers couldn't do, especially risking
restricted filer censure by the court, fines, people hating me for butting into
the controversial Schiavo case.)

**2a. (vouchers) QUESTION ASKED: “Do Sec. of Ed., Besty
DeVos and the Department of Education policy experts agree with my comparison
between Federal Pell Grants and Public Ed vouchers?” Here is what I plan to
write:

“Proponents of Public Ed vouchers, chiefly Conservatives,
Republicans, & right-wingers, argue that vouchers would help Public
Education because they promote free market competition between private &
public schools by affording “school choice” to parents & students. Proof of
that is seen because this model has worked in Higher Ed, with publicly funded
colleges & universities directly competing with private universities for
tuition money provided by the Government, such as the G.I. Bill & the Pell
Grant.

Since liberal college students have no compunctions or
qualms taking their Federal Pell Grants, and running to any school of their
choice (even private or religious colleges), this is proof that this model
works, but are Pells and Vouchers comparable?

Based on numerous phone conversations with U.S.
Department of Education policy experts, the DOE Press Officers, and my own
research from their official website, I conclude that the answer is 'yes': The
Pell Grant, a need-based aid, like the Voucher, can only be used for authorized
school expenses at qualified schools, and, like the Pell, the money follows the
student, for use against those authorized expenses (not all expenses are
covered): Sources: "Federal Pell Grants are usually awarded only to
undergraduate students.". Retrieved March 10, 2017: https://StudentAid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/pell and: "Wondering how the amount of your federal student aid is
determined?". Retrieved March 10, 2017: https://StudentAid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/next-steps/how-calculated Lastly, DeVos, Trump, and others have found many people who have
testified publicly that they were helped when vouchers made up a financial
shortfall to compensate for their attempts to get out of a poor-performing
public school.”

(Before I ask this, I'll thank
DeVos, Trump, & the rest of your team for not only supporting vouchers for
public ed, but also for finding a few brave witnesses; thank
you)

**2b. (voucher-redux) QUESTION ASKED: “Why is there a
deafening silence from the Dept of Ed and the Trump administration when there is
a good comparison, with the Federal Pell Grant, they might use to defend the use
of vouchers?”

Possible answers to 2b include the following:** “We
did use such a comparison” (cite your sources)** “We didn't use this analogy
because we don't think the Pell is comparable to public ed vouchers” (offer
proof)** “We plan on using this analogy...” (offer some plan, and I will
take your word on the honour system, ok?)

**3a. (subsidies) QUESTION ASKED: “Do Sec .of Ed., Besty
DeVos and the Department of Education policy experts agree with the 'Bennett
Hypothesis' so-named after REAGEN's Sec. of Ed., Dr. Bill Bennett?” [This
theory, with which I agree, asserts that subsidies result in costs increasing
because those spending monies have more to spend.] (Answers are either 'yes,'
'no,' or “partially agree with explanation.”)

**3b. (subsidies redux) QUESTION ASKED: “Why is there a
deafening silence from the Dept of Ed and the Trump administration in both their
words and their actions to seek use of the Bennett Hypothesis to end all
subsidies for Higher Education (College) Loans?”

Possible answers to 3b include the following:** “We
did use such a comparison” (cite your sources, and, in all fairness, I think
Trump has come out against subsidies, publicly, but DeVos is silent & mute
on this.)** “We didn't use this analogy because we don't agree with Dr.
Bennett, here.” (offer proof)** “We plan on using this analogy...” (offer
some plan, and I will take your word on the honour system, ok?)

**4. (Free Market checks/balances) QUESTION ASKED: “Do
Sec .of Ed., Besty DeVos and the Department of Education policy experts agree
that Standard Consumer Protections for college loans [such as bankruptcy,
statutes of limitations, truth in lending, & those removed by changes to 11
USC § 523(a)(8)] are a Conservative Free Market check/balance against predatory
lending in college loans?” [This is a yes or no question.]

**5. (Uniformity clause of U.S. Constitution) QUESTION
ASKED: “Do Sec. of Ed., Besty DeVos and the Department of Education policy
experts agree that the removal of Standard Consumer Protections for college
loans [due to changes to 11 USC § 523(a)(8)] was unconstitutional because it
created “non-uniform” bankruptcy law, running afoul of Art. I, Sec. 8, Cl. 4 of
the U.S. Constitution – a special form of Equal Protection regarding bankruptcy
rights?” [This is a yes or no question.] Hint: The Founders demanded a “uniform
bankruptcy” system in Art.I, §8, Cl.4, ahead of even the power to raise an army
and declare war when they gave Congress its powers in the Constitution. The
student loan disaster proves their wisdom.

[[Note: Liberals support the return of Standard Consumer
Protections for college loans that were deleted due to changes in 11 USC §
523(a)(8). However, I am suggesting that 'Conservative' reasons exist to return
them, namely that college was once free or at least very affordable in the past,
and secondly, since tax dollars back & guarantee these loans, and college
debt makes up almost ten (10%) percent of total Nat'l Debt, then if you ignore
me, this will stress the U.S. Debt and crash the dollar. Proof of 1st claim:
“Was college once free in United States, as Bernie Sanders says?,” PolitiFact,
RATED “Mostly True” - By Amy Sherman on Tuesday, February 9th, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
http://www.PolitiFact.com/florida/statements/2016/feb/09/bernie-s/was-college-once-free-united-states-and-it-oversea for proof of 2nd claim, you Google College Debt and U.S. Debt and
compare the two, and then get scared when you see the size of student
debt.]]

**6. (monopoly, anti-trust) QUESTION ASKED: “Do Sec. of
Ed., Besty DeVos and the Department of Education policy experts agree that there
exists an illegal monopoly in higher education?” [Hint: it might help to look up
the legal definition of 'monopoly' here. The answer is simple, but the
implications of admitting the truth are frankly painful.]

** 8. (due process & VFV issues) QUESTION ASKED:
[regarding prospective or “future” college loans] “Do Sec .of Ed., Besty DeVos
and the Department of Education policy experts agree that the removal of the
Truth in Lending consumer protections for college loans violates Fundamental Due
Process due to Lack of Notice & Void for Vagueness issues? [Hint: Sen. Marco
Rubio has attempted to beef up Truth in Lending for college loans, but I don't
know how far his legislation has gotten.]

** 9. (actions vs words) QUESTION ASKED: In light of
questions 3—8, above, does the DOE intend to ask for cessation of using tax
dollars to make/subsidise or back college loans; ask congress to repeal 11 USC §
523(a); seek court action under anti-trust or monopoly laws; and/or speak
vocally to the news media with the bully pulpit of press releases on these
issues?

** 10a. (feedback) QUESTION ASKED: Are my questions too
difficult and/or lengthy and/or too many questions? [[Hint: Answering my
questions will prepare you for 'really' big news media, and moreover save face,
which is necessary because I predict if you ignore me, then the U.S. dollar will
crash due to the college debt becoming a sizable portion of total U.S.
Debt.]]

** 10b. (feedback) QUESTION ASKED: What are you all doing
this weekend? (Meaning, I know it's after 5pm, Friday, but unless you have
something else important planned, do you think that your team could reply to all
my questions, particularly the ones about the contentions voucher
controversy?)

Thank you for reviewing my email (below), and for
whomever at the Dept. of Ed. who visited my online paper's website, thank you
-- I hope you enjoyed your visit, and I trust that our continuing news
coverage of the DOE is pleasant music to your ears. (See cute MEME below.) --
But, on a more serious note, I proof-read my email to you after-the-fact to
make sure I had done a good job. Mostly, I am comfortable that I said what I
needed to and avoided too much unnecessary stuff. However, I noticed one
*glaring* omission in my email: I did not point out that the twin curses
of (past) student debt & (future) college tuition harm Blacks
(African Americans) two to three (2-3) times as much.

This is important for you to know for at least two
reasons: First, as a "moral" issue, of course, Blacks are people too, and
hurting because of lingering discrimination (which is better but not fixed
yet), college debt, defaults, etc., which places this on front-burner.
Secondly, however, as a "practical" matter, I know that Blacks hate your guts,
and while much of their hatred is undeserved, nonetheless, I'm hoping that you
accept the tools I give you to do your part to "bridge the gap," ok? TOOLS:
"Knowledge is Power," so here are 5 key citations that I feel you should
discuss in front of a microphone every-other time you speak:

* "Four years after graduating college,
black students owe nearly twice as much student debt as their white peers do
and are three times more likely to default on those loans, according to a new
paper by the Brookings Institution." Source: "Black College Grads Have Twice
as Much Student Debt as Whites," by Kerri Anne Renzulli, TIME, Oct
21, 2016: http://Time.com/money/4540266/student-debt-racial-gap/

* "A new study of the gaps in student loan
debt between black and white young adults both confirms reports of the gap and
provides new details. The study, published in the journal Race and Social
Problems, finds that black young adults have 68.2 percent more student loan
debt, on average, than do white young adults." Source: "New Study of
Black-White Gap in Student Loan Debt," by Scott Jaschik, Inside Higher
Ed, March 9, 2016: https://www.InsideHigherEd.com/quicktakes/2016/03/09/new-study-black-white-gap-student-loan-debt

OK, by and large, that was the only "real" point I
missed in my last email, but I wanted to offer some tips to read my email,
because I know it is quite long, OK?

** TIPS:First,
remember I'm the guy who almost won in court for Terri Schiavo *all by myself*
-- doing better even than former Fla. Gov. Jeb Bush (before the same 7-Justice
panel of the Fla. Supreme Court), so I'm hoping you "cut me some slack
regarding my egregious omission (which I'm correction, here), OK? Thx.
Secondly, you'll notice that my email
(below) is probably 75% or 80% "citations," meaning you can speed-read
them to make my "email proper" about 4-5 times shorter. Third, please remember
that Pres. Trump testified (below) no less than *twice* that this issue was
"the" single most frequent question he got on the campaign trail (and with
good reason: Since almost 10% of total US Debt is college Debt, with mostly
toxic loans via Predatory Lending, this **WILL** crash the U.S. Dollar if you
ignore my painful, but effective, solutions, and the latter pain will be
greater than the former. *Lastly*, you'll notice that I've
included attachments in my emails: The attachments are to support the message
in the body of my email, and the email & attachments "go together," for
the complete message. I.e., neither is a stand-alone. But, I make my points in
the body of my email, to keep things simple.

http://gordonWAYNEwatts.com/FannyDeregulation/Tetzlaff-case/DOCKET-15-485_Tetzlaff-v-ECMC.html and I'm including my initial brief seeking Intervention, as
it is "comprehensive" in raising *all* the key legal issues surrounding the
Higher Ed laws which are so broken. (Granted, you & your staff can't fix
these, yourself, but you can get up to speed, and use the "Bully Pulpit," if
you so choose.) ONE QUESTION, if I may: What can Sec.
DeVos and the Dept. of Education do to fix these problems? (I know Lawmakers
have "God-like" powers, and the DOE is limited in its regulatory role, but I
don't know the exact limits, which prompts me to ask.) If you need to respond
several times - like I did - feel free. Take your rime, but please do not
hesitate to reach out to me if I may be of any actual assistance in solving
these problems. I hope my analyses & observations are both encouraging
& actually helpful to Sec. DeVos, her staff, U.S. Dept. of Education,
& Lawmakers as well.

Thank you for speaking to me just now. Pursuant to your request, here
is the email in question. What I ask from the press office is to address the
questions posed to Ms. DeVos and your department (below), and to please
answer two (2) additional question I overlooked/forgot -- these
questions:

Q1: Considering the fact that there are limitations on what the Dept of
Ed and/or the Secretary of Ed over your department can do, what (if
anything) can Sec. DeVos, herself, or the Department, itself, do to
address and remedy the problems I've outlined below? (In other words, while
Lawmakers have almost god-like powers in these matters, getting them to do
anything is like herding cats, and if I have reached my limits with
lawmakers, what can the new secretary and her department do, as allowed by
her regulatory powers?

Q2: Regardless of the statutory limitations on the regulatory powers
enumerated for the Department (and its secretary), what battles (described
below) are the Dept of Ed and/or Sec. DeVos willing to fight with the First
amendment use of the "Bully Pulpit" (e.g., press officer(s) and/or Sec.
DeVos speaking to the news media directly and/or via press releases),
remembering that the DOE and/or its officers/secretary all have more of a
bully pulpit than an ordinary Joe.

Congratulations on your confirmation in the
U.S. Senate, Secretary DeVos! You have done some good things and (no
offense – we're all human) some bad things. As you've asked for 'feedback'
from us, so here it is: First, I'll
drop two big names to let you know I'm credible: First, you may inquire of
my good friends, U.S. Rep. Dennis A. Ross (R-FL-15th), who is my
congressman or selected members of his staff appearing in the cc line.
They will give me a good character references. Secondly, I'll drop my OWN
name - yes, I will: I'm "the" guy who almost won in court for the famous
Terri Schiavo case (see court references below), -- I achieved a 4-3 split
decision in the Fla. Supreme Court - all by myself -- so,
I'm no dummy, OK? Below is a copy of my email to Congressman Ross, which
I've asked him to pass to you, the other 537 Lawmakers, the VP, and the
President -- it's long, but worth it -- here goes
nothing!

Subject - bears
repeating: Tips for
Sec. of Ed.: Addressing GRIZZLIES, GUNS, VOUCHERS, and (past) College Debt
& (future) Tuition Inflation – and how she can answer her
critics!...

Dear
Congressman Ross:

To
preview my feedback, here are the 2 citations I promised you earlier to
prove that the “most common” question President Trump gets is about the
twin curses of past student-debt & future college-tuition—to prove
that my feedback here is likely the “most important” constituent feedback
you'll receive all year long:

Citation 2: “ASHLEY: Several other candidates have come out with
their plans for lowering or even free education at the public university
level. Um, do you have a plan? And if so, do you have a way of paying for
that plan?

16:35:50 TRUMP: As a -- as a -- I can't believe I'm saying this as
a politician. I'm not a politician, but as somebody that's now in politics
and the political world. I'd love to say free education, but again, if
somebody gets free education, all of the people paying...But I get that
question more than any single question, especially because I've gotten to
know so many young people, and they're so incredible.”

OK,
Betsy DeVos was confirmed as Sec. of Ed. by the U.S. Senate, but only by a
razor-thin vote (an even thinner margin than my 4-3 loss at the Fla.
Supreme Court as Terri Schiavo's friend, remember?, and, yes, I'm bragging
that I nearly won the Schiavo case “all by myself,” because, you must
admit, it's easier for a “Big” person to get his common sense ideas
listened to, no?), and as DeVos doesn't have a mandate, she WILL need to
build consensus – and here is how I propose that you and I, together, help
her to do her job. I ask you you, Rep. Dennis A. Ross, to pass along these
four (4) ideas/tips: First, my 2 higher-ed ideas (in my column: get tax$$
out of making/backing college loans, and secondly restore bankruptcy,
truth in lending, stats of limitation, & ALL standard consumer
protections to college loans, since they act as a Conservative Free Market
CHECK/balance against predatory lending & tuition inflation), next, my
one (1) public ed idea (about the voucher analogy, below), and lastly: #4
-- lastly, ask her to brush up on how Texas' 2nd Amendment with "gun in
schools" works (like it did when we, or our parents, were kids and were
able to take our 22 rifles into class without a problem). That makes 4
unique, distinct tips or ideas.

DeVos
needs to study THIS, BELOW—if she wants to protect her school kids from
those Big Bad GRIZZLIES /:-D And if she wants to offer coherent, common
sense, answers to her Liberal, gun-grabbing, left-wing critics, without
looking stupid, OK?

“Once
upon a time, it was common for an American child to be packed off to
school with a rifle on his back and for him to come home smiling and safe
in the evening. Shooting clubs, now quietly withering away, were once such
a mainstay of American high-school life that in the first half of the 20th
century they were regularly installed in the basements of new educational
buildings. Now, they are in their death throes, victims of political
correctness, a willful misunderstanding of what constitutes “gun safety,”
and our deplorable tendency toward litigiousness. [line-break] In 1975,
New York state had over 80 school districts with rifle teams. In 1984,
that had dropped to 65. By 1999 there were just 26. The state’s annual
riflery championship was shut down in 1986 for lack of demand...But how
wise is that “zero-tolerance policy”? Until 1989, there were only a few
school shootings in which more than two victims were killed. This was
despite widespread ownership of — and familiarity with — weapons and an
absence of “gun-free zones.” As George Mason University economist Walter
E. Williams has observed, for most of American history “private transfers
of guns to juveniles were unrestricted. Often a youngster’s 12th or 14th
birthday present was a shiny new .22-caliber rifle, given to him by his
father.” This was a right of passage, conventional and uncontroversial
across the country. “Gee, Dad . . . A Winchester!” read one particularly
famous ad. “In Virginia,” Williams writes, “rural areas had a long
tradition of high-school students going hunting in the morning before
school, and sometimes storing their guns in the trunk of their cars during
the school day, parked on the school grounds.” Many of these guns they
could buy at almost any hardware store or gas station — or even by mail
order. The 1968 Gun Control Act, supported happily by major gun
manufacturers who wished to push out their competition, put a stop to
this.”

* "In
Texas School, Teachers Carry Books and Guns" (By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.,
August 28, 2008) New York Times: "Barely 100 students attend classes at
Harrold, a tiny town in north-central Texas. But the school board's
decision to allow teachers to carry concealed weapons has drawn national
attention." - http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/29/us/29texas.html

*
"Readin', writin', 'rithmetic — and now maybe revolvers: North Texas
school's teachers can carry guns" (By JENNIFER RADCLIFFE, Aug. 16, 2008)
The Houston Chronicle: 'Thweatt said that despite the outrage from his
public school peers, Harrold stands by its decision. The first few months
of the new policy have gone smoothly, he said. "We think we have acted
cautiously and wisely," said Thweatt. "Others should be free to govern
their school districts as they see fit." Thweatt said the small community
is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and
teachers without protection. He said the district's lone campus is
situated just 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make
it a target.' - http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/5947050.html

* "Guns
for Texas school's teachers" (Saturday, 16 August 2008 02:06 UK) BBC:
"Teachers in one part of the US state of Texas are to be allowed to carry
concealed firearms when the new school term opens this month." -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7564654.stm

*
"Texas School Teacher Guns" (Categories: Education) Mahalo.com.: "When the
federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that’s when all
of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of
people can’t defend themselves? That’s like saying 'sic ’em’ to a dog."
—quoting Harrold School Superintendent David Thweatt, as reported in the
Ft. Worth Star-Telegram article: "Small Texas school district lets
teachers, staff pack pistols" (August 15, 2008) - http://www.mahalo.com/texas-school-teacher-guns

***
What about California & Illinois? Both are liberal states with strict
“anti-gun” laws, yet these 2 states are infamous for school & college
shootings all the time. Yet, places like Texas, Utah, & ISRAEL, that
have “gun friendly” laws, have no such issues. Looks like the “Liberal”
method does not work! DeVos never mentioned this “contrast” of Liberal v.
Conservative track record, either, during her confirmation hearings, when
asked about guns & schools? What was she thinking!? Actually, besides
defending 2nd Amendment, she
also should tell her **many** critics that State & Federal Lawmakers,
not she, herself, make law on these issues, and to stop asking stupid,
moot, questions!! She didn't say that either.. what in the world was she
thinking!? ***

* "ARE
ISRAELI TEACHERS ARMED?" (By Josh Wander, December 16, 2012) Jewish
Prepers: (Short Fair-Use excerpt: "With all that in mind, Israelis have
never had a school shooting perpetrated by one of their own...I should
also mention that during any class trips, it is required to have an armed
escort with the kids at all times. Israel takes their children’s safety
and security seriously!") - http://JewishPreppers.com/2012/12/are-israeli-teachers-armed

*
"Armed teachers, guards bolster school security in Israel" (By Greg
Tepper, December 30, 2012) FoxNews.com: (Short Fair-Use excerpt: "Oren
Shemtov, CEO of Israel’s Academy of Security and Investigation, noted that
attacks typically happen in a matter of minutes, and said gun-toting
teachers could, at the very least, buy time for kids to escape while
police race to the scene. [line-break] “Two (armed) teachers would have
kept (the Newtown shooter) occupied for 45 seconds each,” said
Shemtov...Security consultant Dov Zwerling, an Israeli counter-terror
police veteran, believes armed guards are crucial for school security.
[line-break] “From what I know of almost all of the active shooter events
in the U.S., almost all of them conclude with the shooter taking his own
life the moment he is challenged by the first officer on the scene,”
Zwerling said. “Why not challenge him earlier?”...At one point the
Interior Ministry mandated that a certain percentage of teachers be
armed...In order to station armed guards in U.S. schools, an idea
advocated by the National Rifle Association, America could tap a ready
pool of qualified candidates, Shemtov said. U.S. soldiers returning from
overseas are well suited for school protection, he said, and “instead of
returning with nothing to do there’s a sea of work” as school guards.") -
http://www.FoxNews.com/world/2012/12/30/armed-teachers-guards-key-to-school-security-in-israel

"Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of
wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless,
guileless, and without falsity) as doves." (Words of Jesus in Red;
Matthew 10:16, HOLY BIBLE, Amplified Version)

"Then He said to them, But now let him who has a purse take
it, and also [his provision] bag; and let him who has no sword sell his
mantle and buy a sword." (Words of Jesus in Red; Luke 22:36, HOLY
BIBLE, Amplified Version)

"When
the strong man, fully armed, [from his courtyard] guards his own dwelling,
his belongings are undisturbed [his property is at peace and is secure]."
(Words of Jesus in Red; Luke 11:21, HOLY BIBLE, Amplified
Version)

17
Those who built the wall and those who bore burdens loaded themselves so
that everyone worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other hand,
18 And every builder had his
sword girded by his side, and so worked. And he who sounded the trumpet
was at my side. 19 And I said
to the nobles and officials and the rest of the people, The work is great
and scattered, and we are separated on the wall, one far from another.
20 In whatever place you hear
the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.
21 So we labored at the work
while half of them held the spears from dawn until the stars came out.
22 At that time also I said to
the people, Let everyone with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that at
night they may be a guard to us and a laborer during the day. 23 So none of us--I, my kinsmen, my
servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me--took off our clothes;
each kept his weapon [in his hand for days].

--Nehemiah 4:17-23, HOLY BIBLE, Amplified Version

U.S.
Courts and the Constitution agree: A well regulated Militia, being
necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep
and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

The
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES in DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA v. HELLER (No.
07-290; Argued March 18, 2008—Decided June 26, 2008) 478 F. 3d 370,
affirmed the lower court's decision and held that "1. The Second Amendment
protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service
in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such
as self-defense within the home." (Pp. 2–53)

*
Summary on 'voucher' comparison: So long as Vouchers go directly to
students, who can only spend them on either Public or Private schools that
meet *high* standards qualifications, I support use of vouchers, because
this is comparable to Pell Grants going directly to students to spend on
any public or private college of their "choice" - school choice. (But, if
vouchers can only go to the state in block grants and/or if they can be
used on expensive, low quality Private & Charter schools to make crony
capitalist “pork-barrel”buddies rich, then that's not alright.) NOTE:
Since even Liberals take their PELL grants and gladly use them at private
colleges, and the "public" state colleges aren't harmed or hurt (even tho
said public colleges have LESS public funding than public education
schools, which are 100%-funded), then there should be even LESS problem
with vouchers than with PELL grants, so DeVos and her supporters would be
wise to use this analogy as an affirmative defense & argument in
whereof we support vouchers.

CONCLUSION: DeVos is unable to pass law on the four (4) points I
raised (Federal law regarding public ed, higher ed, and states' rights
issues regarding gun laws), but (A) she may have regulatory powers in some
regard; (B) she certainly has the bully pulpit to speak out more loudly
than either of us, combined; and, most importantly, (C) you and she have
the ear not just Lawmakers, but also the President, who has a bigger bully
pulpit to address these issues. Not mentioned above, because it was not
related to Education, but here's a 5th Bonus Point #5: As I've suggested in the
past (but bears inclusion in my treatise or 'Thesis!'), when Lawmakers are
looking for a replacement for the ACA (ObamaCare), as in “repeal &
replace,” I respectfully suggest we use POLK County, Florida's indigent
county healthcare (funded by 1/2-cent sales tax), since it's more
“affordable,” and yet still modestly comprehensive coverage = good
compromise. But, things like “competition across state lines” are not bad
“add-on” ideas, either? Also, we don't treat our vets right - from A-to-Z:
To begin with we shouldn't even be in most of these "wars" (which cost
lives, huge medical costs, and anger other nations without cause), and
secondly, our Vets sometimes don't go to the VA because they take too long
to get an appointment: Therefore, vets should have ability to get coverage
at most **any** doctor, just like retired, disabled, Medicare, Medicaid,
patients, etc.

If
you've read this far and not passed out, you deserve a medal, but it'll
have to be a Presidential Medal of Honour, so to get it, you've got to
make sure that Pres. Trump & VP Pence get a copy of this, and not just
DeVos and your 537 other Lawmaker colleagues. (Get the printing press
ready for good ideas to Make America Great Again, like it was when college
was great, and yet still affordable!)

PS: My email to you, Sec. DeVos, has made
me late for church tonight (Wingman Men's Group), but I hope it was worth
it for me to try & help you & your department (and lawmakers,
president, staff, etc.), for, as my pastor, Dr. Jay Dennis (1st Baptist
Church @ the Mall, Lakeland, Fla.) has oft-said: God wants us to be good
stewards & use our First Amendment rights(e.g.,
this email, here) to not only criticise the bad things, but to thank
& honour the good things, to encourage you, & to help
you, if at all possible. -- Be blessed, and I wish you the best success.
Are ,my proposed solutions for the Public & Higher Ed problems tenable
& appropriate? Please let me know, one way or the
other.Sincerely,

"First, they [Nazis] came for the Jews. I was silent. I was
not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists. I was silent. I was not a
Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists. I was silent. I was not a
trade unionist. Then they came for me. There was no one left to speak for
me."(Martin Niemöller, given credit for a quotation in The Harper Religious and
Inspirational Quotation Companion, ed. Margaret Pepper(New York: Harper
&Row, 1989), 429 -as cited on page 44, note 17,of Religious Cleansing in the
American Republic, by Keith A. Fornier,Copyright 1993, by Liberty, Life, and
Family Publications.Some versions have Mr. Niemöller saying:
"Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a
Protestant"; other versions have him saying that they came for Socialists,
Industrialists, schools, the press,and/or the Church; however, it's certain he
DID say SOMETHING like this. Actually, they may not have come for the Jews
first, as it's more likely they came for the prisoners, mentally handicapped,
&other so-called "inferiors" first -as historians tell us-so they could get
"practiced up"; however, they did come for them -due to the silence of their
neighbors -and due in part to their own silence. So: "Speak up now or
forever hold your peace!"-GWW